March 4 - Participate in silent auctions. Don't just donate a signed book -- put something related to your book with it. For example, when we donate the collection of books for a former war correspondent, we partner with a local restaurant and make the auction item "Lunch for two with John Hlavacek" or for our Las Vegas Mafia expert we call it "Cocktails and Mob Stories for you and three friends with Steve Fischer." It's worth more to the auction if it is not just a bunch of books, and it gets your name out there with a little mystique.
Watch for events everywhere (should be 4-8 weeks away so you can be in the program), and do deliberate searches too. Google the words "Silent Auction" along with the topic, town and a month at least 1-4 months away. For example, my search today was "silent auction" teachers Orlando May 2011. Weed through your results, and you'll find ads for events that include silent auctions. Simply email the coordinator listed on their event information with your auction item, a snappy description and a value.
Yes, it's a little work, but lots of people will see your book during the auction, it will be in the program for the event as an auction item, you can tell your story to the winner AND you are helping a cause. Take pictures and post them on your social media sites. Remember though, the buyer is looking to be entertained, not bored to tears! (Oh yeah, your donation is tax deductible!)
Friday, March 4, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Small Press Month, Post # 3
March 3 - If you've written a memoir, family history, biography, autobiography, history book (even for historical fiction), or any other type of book that notes people, places or things related to a geographic area: send a copy to the historical society in any and all cities, counties or states you have mentioned. They will usually send you a letter telling you that the book has been officially entered into the historical records of that entity. Then in your marketing materials, make sure you mention that it is included in the historical collections of the state (or county or city).
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
Borders' Bankrupty Stinks
While not at all shocked about it, the announcement that Borders has filed for bankruptcy has me puzzled. How does an industry stacked with benefits for the retail side of the business get it so wrong so often? The financial bankruptcy of this one retailer barely scratches the surface of the inept handling of the advances in the exchange of information and the exploding independent and self publishing industry. Let's face it, the industry as a whole is bankrupt in business practices, ethics, common sense, and their agility and ability to bend and sway with the consumer and how and why they need a book.
It is sad to see a business closing its doors and so many people losing their jobs. It is the fault of the industry as a whole, as well as the individual executive managers of these retail establishments and not the front line staff. Bookstores are just huge consignment shops that can make completely irresponsible inventory buys so they have a big well-stocked store with virtually no penalty to them for bad buys — they just return the books to the wholesaler (no matter from whom those books were originally purchased).
Consumers complain and say books are too expensive now… so why no sales Mr. Bookstore Manager? Why is it that the publisher is asked to carry debt for a bookstore? Why is the publisher asked for increased discounts? Why are royalties to the author cut or unpaid? Why do consumers have to BUY their discounts in the form of rewards and loyalty cards? Why can't bookstores have sales just like any other retailer? Because they won't.
The real numbers are hard to dispute. Bookstores buy their returnable stock at a 40% discount or better. That is the biggest cut anyone gets in the sale of a book. Wholesalers keep about 15%, Distributors keep about 15%, Royalties for the author 7-8%. Publishers get to pay for the production of the book and then they get to ship them to the distributors, so their cut is often very small (and by very small, I mean miniscule -- once cost of goods sold and shipping is taken out, it's hard to see any percentage -- and, shhhhhh, let's not mention returns and reordering the same titles a day later). Something doesn’t sell in the bookstore? No problem! Send it on back to the distributor/wholesaler/publisher and don’t pay a dime. What other industry sells their wholesale product to the retailers and then takes the entire thing back when it doesn’t sell? The whole thing really stinks for almost everyone.
Also, there are 29 million or so books in print, and a typical bookstore has 125,000 titles in the store. That's like trying to fit the whole world into a history classroom rather than using a globe. Unfortunately, since people want a specific book, and bookstores obviously can't carry everything, it often only makes sense to go to an online retailer like Amazon who WILL order a book when someone buys one. Just because a publisher uses a wholesaler to handle the bookstore relationship, it does not mean they can or will order a book for you, either. Talk about the chicken or the egg. The bookstores won’t place a backorder for books that aren’t in stock at the wholesaler, and the wholesaler won’t order books from the publisher until a backorder is placed by the bookseller.
It’s not the bookstore’s fault — it’s just basic math versus basic real estate. It's the publishing industry's fault for putting up with these ridiculous practices from the retailers and allowing their own ridiculous practices to continue. It’s the consumer’s fault for expecting returns with no excuses, browsing and never buying, but damaging product while in the store, and treating the stores like they are libraries. You don’t go into a clothing store and try something on and then walk around and meet friends for coffee in it for three hours in the store and then just take it off and go on your merry way, do you?
Bottom line to consumers: If you want to support the relationship with the local bookstore, DON’T buy things and return them damaged. DON’T stay in the bookstore and read everything for three hours and not make a purchase (and likely damage the product while you are reading it anyway). DO insist that the store order the books you want, and show up when they arrive, and then BUY the thing you ordered. DO buy sideline items, coffee, periodicals and books.
Bottom line to bookstore management: Educate your consumer on how to best support your retail establishment. Educate your staff on how the book industry works. Offer to take orders for books you don't stock and then make the customer pay for them. When one of your customers damages something, make them pay for it. When you buy too much of something, have a sale rather than returning it.
Bottom line to publishers: Let's get together and stop letting the industry bully us into oblivion.
It is sad to see a business closing its doors and so many people losing their jobs. It is the fault of the industry as a whole, as well as the individual executive managers of these retail establishments and not the front line staff. Bookstores are just huge consignment shops that can make completely irresponsible inventory buys so they have a big well-stocked store with virtually no penalty to them for bad buys — they just return the books to the wholesaler (no matter from whom those books were originally purchased).
Consumers complain and say books are too expensive now… so why no sales Mr. Bookstore Manager? Why is it that the publisher is asked to carry debt for a bookstore? Why is the publisher asked for increased discounts? Why are royalties to the author cut or unpaid? Why do consumers have to BUY their discounts in the form of rewards and loyalty cards? Why can't bookstores have sales just like any other retailer? Because they won't.
The real numbers are hard to dispute. Bookstores buy their returnable stock at a 40% discount or better. That is the biggest cut anyone gets in the sale of a book. Wholesalers keep about 15%, Distributors keep about 15%, Royalties for the author 7-8%. Publishers get to pay for the production of the book and then they get to ship them to the distributors, so their cut is often very small (and by very small, I mean miniscule -- once cost of goods sold and shipping is taken out, it's hard to see any percentage -- and, shhhhhh, let's not mention returns and reordering the same titles a day later). Something doesn’t sell in the bookstore? No problem! Send it on back to the distributor/wholesaler/publisher and don’t pay a dime. What other industry sells their wholesale product to the retailers and then takes the entire thing back when it doesn’t sell? The whole thing really stinks for almost everyone.
Also, there are 29 million or so books in print, and a typical bookstore has 125,000 titles in the store. That's like trying to fit the whole world into a history classroom rather than using a globe. Unfortunately, since people want a specific book, and bookstores obviously can't carry everything, it often only makes sense to go to an online retailer like Amazon who WILL order a book when someone buys one. Just because a publisher uses a wholesaler to handle the bookstore relationship, it does not mean they can or will order a book for you, either. Talk about the chicken or the egg. The bookstores won’t place a backorder for books that aren’t in stock at the wholesaler, and the wholesaler won’t order books from the publisher until a backorder is placed by the bookseller.
It’s not the bookstore’s fault — it’s just basic math versus basic real estate. It's the publishing industry's fault for putting up with these ridiculous practices from the retailers and allowing their own ridiculous practices to continue. It’s the consumer’s fault for expecting returns with no excuses, browsing and never buying, but damaging product while in the store, and treating the stores like they are libraries. You don’t go into a clothing store and try something on and then walk around and meet friends for coffee in it for three hours in the store and then just take it off and go on your merry way, do you?
Bottom line to consumers: If you want to support the relationship with the local bookstore, DON’T buy things and return them damaged. DON’T stay in the bookstore and read everything for three hours and not make a purchase (and likely damage the product while you are reading it anyway). DO insist that the store order the books you want, and show up when they arrive, and then BUY the thing you ordered. DO buy sideline items, coffee, periodicals and books.
Bottom line to bookstore management: Educate your consumer on how to best support your retail establishment. Educate your staff on how the book industry works. Offer to take orders for books you don't stock and then make the customer pay for them. When one of your customers damages something, make them pay for it. When you buy too much of something, have a sale rather than returning it.
Bottom line to publishers: Let's get together and stop letting the industry bully us into oblivion.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Two New Great Titles Now Available!
Written by John Morrissey
Reachable Stars Press
Now available at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and your local bookstore.
Perfect for every special teacher.
No gift bears greater fruit than the nourishment from a teacher to a willing mind. Those who choose teaching as their vocation don’t do it to inform their students, but to awaken their spirits and their ability to learn.
John Morrissey believes, and has proven in this collection of stories written by a variety of contributors, that virtually everyone can instantly name his or her favorite teacher. He asked hundreds of people across the globe from many walks of life to share a story about that one teacher who had an impact far beyond the classroom. As he posed his question, nearly all were able to share the details of their favorite teacher and the memories that stayed with them long after class was dismissed.
As you read these pages, you’ll see that an extra spark occurs between a student and the teacher destined to be one of their favorites. Enjoy these stories, and remember to thank your own favorite teacher!
"Many times, it is the smallest moments that mean the most to the children that we teach -- a great reminder of the power of educators to touch futures."
~Donna Whyte, Education Consultant, Founder of TheSmartieZone.com
Written by Brian Bogdanoff
1161 Press
Now available at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and
www.threebodiesburning.com
For true crime readers and others who are curious about how police investigations take place.
A haunting triple murder... the inside story of the investigation.
When two worlds collide—the illegal transportation of tons of Mexican cartel marijuana to inner city gang members in a Midwestern city’s “hood”—three bodies end up burning, caught in a web of greed as a major international drug deal goes very bad.
The chilling trail of evidence from a remote wooded area where three bodies are set on fire leads homicide detectives across the country chasing down witnesses and conspirators in a two-year search for cold-blooded killers. This case has it all: murder, piles of cash stashed in the most unlikely of places, a blood-soaked crime scene, the remote dump site for bodies, luxury cars, flashy jewelry, and hundreds of pounds of illegal dope.
An unbelievable break takes detectives down the rabbit hole where CSI meets Law & Order and where good old gumshoeing and meticulous forensic procedures bring down a mega-million-dollar drug conspiracy and lock up the bad guys for life.
Follow the case through the eyes of the gritty homicide/narcotics detective. A handbook for the amateur criminologist, this book is for true crime fans, prosecutors and defense attorneys, and cops and robbers.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Rotella's Book "The Little King and His Marshmallow Kingdom" Wins Gold
The Little King and His Marshmallow Kingdom
is now the proud recipient of GOLD
in the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards!
October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month
The Moonbeam Children's Book Awards are intended to bring increased recognition to exemplary children's books and their creators, and to celebrate children's books and life-long reading. Each year's entries are judged by expert panels of youth educators, librarians, booksellers, and book reviewers of all ages.is now the proud recipient of GOLD
in the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards!
October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month
King Louie IV, who has Down Syndrome, rules over Marshmallow Kingdom where the sun always shines and every meal is a picnic with yummy marshmallows for dessert. King Louie helps his friends understand and appreciate that everyone is unique. Follow Louie as he shows you the kid-like things he loves to do.
This adorable title is available at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, MarshmallowKingdom.com, as well as through Baker and Taylor and your local bookstore.
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